Children in the Dark
|NextChapterEp = }} 'Synopsis' The session starts with Peck and Dortha entering the abandoned city of Melvaunt. They decide to try and find a place to stay for the night and as they turn a corner, they suddenly see that the city is not as run down or abandoned as they first thought. They see signs of life such as buildings in better repair and even some lights in windows. As they look for an inn or tavern to stay at, they hear a child calling out from an alley asking for help. As they approach the child says that his kitty is trapped in the basement of an abandoned building where the stairs had collapsed and the kitty can not get up. Peck gets a bad feeling about the child and they decline to help him but instead try to get the child to accompany them. The child instead darts off down the alleyway into the shadows and is gone. The two continue on and eventually find an inn. When they enter they see that there are only two sources of light, one lantern sitting on the bar next to the bartender and another lantern at a far corner table occupied by the only other patron. Approaching the bar, they start conversation with the barkeeper and ask what has happened to the town. Realizing that they do not know, the bartender tells them, "If you don't know, it is probably best that you leave." When they respond that they will leave in the morning he tells the two, "If you don't leave now... you may never leave. This is the Shadowfell." Meanwhile Eric, Cirra, Sebastian, and Mogrin have just arrived in the Shadowfell out on the bay. Sebastian seems to be suffering from a small panic attack at first but eventually calms down. Realizing that the portal they came through seems to have vanished, Eric notes their position on the water and suggests they row to shore so they are off the water and not drawing attention. Once The group has rowed to shore, they pull the boat off to the side out of the way of where the larger ships would be coming in, and make their way into the town trying to avoid drawing any unneeded attention to themselves. The group makes their way down the streets noticing some lights moving as if carried. As they move, Eric feels a tug at his cloak and immediately reaches back to grab the hand tugging. The arm he grabs belongs to a young boy with solid black eyes. The boy asks them to help him save his kitty. Eric shoves the boys arm away scoffing, "We have no time for this!" Again being rejected the boy darts off into the shadows. Exiting the inn, Peck and Dortha decide to try and find a more welcoming establishment to spend the night. In the distance they see some lights being carried by a group of individuals and they make their way in that direction. As they get closer they see that it is a group of 3 individuals each carrying a lantern. As Peck and Dortha approach the three dart off. Yelling after them to see why they are running, Peck gives chase, causing Dortha to follow after. They eventually seem to catch up and as they do, two of the individuals dart around a corner while the third yells, "Back demons! BACK!" Trying to convince him that they mean no harm the man then says, "The children of darkness are full of lies!" and throws his lantern at them before running off. The lantern hits Peck setting his cloak on fire. Now angry Peck gives chase, again causing Dortha to have to follow. The man eventually outpaces the two and they finally stop, realizing they no longer have any clue as to where they are after so many twists and turns. Off in the shadows they hear a childish giggle and start to head towards it. After the child runs off, Eric and the others continue on, periodically hearing the sound of childish giggles. At each crossroads we seem to be getting further away from them. Suddenly from around a corner about 100ft away the group sees two forms, one of a child and one of a slightly larger child. As the gap between the two groups starts to close, Mogrin uses light on a small rock and tosses it forward to get a better look. What appeared to be children was in fact Peck and Dortha. Though both groups are initially on edge, after some conversation and finding out that Peck and Dortha found themselves in the Shadowfell by mistake, the two groups join for safety and decide to try and find shelter. Taking the lead in this regard, Peck finds them all a two-story building with a basement. The group enters the building and after making sure it is clear they decide to stay on the top floor. For safety Cirra casts an alarm spell to alert us of any intrusion while Eric summons a magical guardian to watch over them. As they are all about to lay down to sleep, they hear a deep rumbling purr and a childish voice that says, "Thanks but no thanks guys. I got my kitty cat." Looking out the window, they see the small black-eyed child standing next to a displacer beast. 'Featured Characters' 'Player Characters' * Eric Smith * Cirra * Sebastian Rattlecap * Mogrin * Dortha Blacklung * Peck Gnarlwood 'New' 'Returning' Footnotes